Major Minerals
Unlike the nutrient molecules, minerals are inorganic elemental atom or ions.
Unlike carbohydrate, protein and fat, minerals are not changed during digestion or when the body uses them.
Unlike many vitamins, minerals are not destroyed by heat, light, or alkalinity.
Calcium remains calcium, be it in seashells, milk or bones. Iron remains iron, whether it is part of a cast iron skillet or carried in the bloodstream as part of hemoglobin. This is true for all minerals.
Minerals play many essential roles in the body. Some mineral such as magnesium, participate in the catalytic of enzymes.
Others serve a structural function, for example, calcium and phosphorus are among the minerals that make our bones hard.
Minerals are categorized as major or trace minerals based on the amount needed in the diet and the amount of the mineral in the body.
The body requires more that 100 mg per day of each major mineral, while the dietary need for each trace mineral is less than 100 mg daily.
This classification of minerals is unrelated to the mineral’s biological importance. For example, iron is a trace mineral but it plays a critical role in many major metabolic reactions.
Major Minerals
